I just have a question on the blessing of water during Theophany. We have water blessed the evening before (Eve of Theophany) and then again after the Liturgy on the day of Theophany. Can anyone explain to me why we bless the water twice and is there any difference in the water?We save a bottle of both, evening and morning.

I have never been able to get a suitable answer to this question.

I appreciate your assistance!

Your sister in Christ,

Liza

Logged

Conquer evil men by your gentle kindness, and make zealous men wonder at your goodness. Put the lover of legality to shame by your compassion. With the afflicted be afflicted in mind. Love all men, but keep distant from all men.—St. Isaac of Syria

There is no difference in the blessings: it is the same blessing, the same water. They are the same prayers each time. It is theoretically unnecessary to save two bottles, one morning and one night, except if you really want/need that quantity of holy water.

I have a feeling that the reason why there are two blessings is because there are two liturgies: one a Vesperal Liturgy, and one a Morning Liturgy. Theophany is one of the 3 days of the year that the Church will celebrate two liturgies on the same Liturgical day: Christmas, Theophany, and Pascha (Easter). Each of these days at some point were days of vigil, with the services beginning the evening before the feast and progressing into the morning of the feast (in monasteries they still are). Out of this grew the practice of evening and morning liturgies. The blessing of the water is to be done after Liturgy (when it was a vigil, then there was only one Liturgy - in the morning) as part of the celebration of the feastday. Now, since we do two Liturgies (unless Christmas or Theophany fall on a Sunday or Monday), the blessing was added before the evening service, since for many that will be their only celebration of the feast.

I hope this is helpful.

Logged

"There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that “my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."" Isaac Asimov

Conquer evil men by your gentle kindness, and make zealous men wonder at your goodness. Put the lover of legality to shame by your compassion. With the afflicted be afflicted in mind. Love all men, but keep distant from all men.—St. Isaac of Syria

Conquer evil men by your gentle kindness, and make zealous men wonder at your goodness. Put the lover of legality to shame by your compassion. With the afflicted be afflicted in mind. Love all men, but keep distant from all men.—St. Isaac of Syria

According to the Typikon, the 1st Blessing of the Waters is to take place after the Ambon Prayer of the Vesperal Liturgy on the eve of the Feast. In common practice today, however, it is usually performed after the Vigil Service (of Great Compline and Matins) on the eve of the Feast. The 2nd Blessing of the Waters is to take place after the Ambon Prayer of the Divine Liturgy on the day of the Feast. According to Slavic custom, the blessing on the eve of the Feast takes place indoors and the blessing on the Feast Day itself takes place under the open sky (lakes, rivers, wells, etc.).There is some thought that originally the 1st blessing (on the eve) was actually the blessing of the Baptismal Water for those Catechumens who were going to be baptised that day. If one looks at the prayer from the Blessing of the Waters on Theophany which begins "Great are You, O Lord..." it is almost identical (until the end) with the Prayer for the Sanctification of the water in the Service of Baptism (which also begins with "Great are You, O Lord...").The Typikon does not call for a 3rd Blessing of the Waters on this Feast.

There is some thought that originally the 1st blessing (on the eve) was actually the blessing of the Baptismal Water for those Catechumens who were going to be baptised that day. If one looks at the prayer from the Blessing of the Waters on Theophany which begins "Great are You, O Lord..." it is almost identical (until the end) with the Prayer for the Sanctification of the water in the Service of Baptism (which also begins with "Great are You, O Lord...").

The Typikon does not call for a 3rd Blessing of the Waters on this Feast.

Of course it doesn't - that doesn't stop us from going out and sanctifying the waters of nearby lakes, rivers, streams, etc. Most Orthodox places with a body of water nearby do this (most famously done in coastal towns like Tarpon Springs, New York, Constantinople, etc.).

Logged

"There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that “my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."" Isaac Asimov